


Pidge Ship Week 2017

by LittleMissWolfie



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, F/M, Pidge Ship Week 2017, basically pidge is persephone, pidtor/lotidge needs more love, this is gonna be garbage just warning you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-12-30 23:01:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12119130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissWolfie/pseuds/LittleMissWolfie
Summary: If someone had told a fourteen year old Pidge she would end up marrying an alien prince to cement the end of a ten thousand year long intergalactic war, she would have been extremely concerned for their mental health. Here she was, though: nineteen years old and queen of a race of purple cat people she’d spent the last four years of her life fighting against.





	1. Trust

Pidge knew her situation could be much, much worse. She was well fed, she had her own la with tons of advanced tech to take apart and put back together, and she was treated like royalty.

Well, that last bit was probably because she actually  _ was  _ royalty.

If someone had told a fourteen year old Pidge she would end up marrying an alien prince to cement the end of a ten thousand year long intergalactic war, she would have been extremely concerned for their mental health. Here she was, though: nineteen years old and queen of a race of purple cat people she’d spent the last four years of her life fighting against.

After the war, the Galrans (those who were either loyal to Lotor or members of the Blade of Marmora, at least) settled on an uninhabited planet, named it after themselves, and began building. Much to Pidge’s distress, Lotor named the capital city Katelyn after her. The magnificent purple and silver castle was the first building to finish construction, and Lotor and Pidge moved in shortly after it was completed.

Being married to Lotor was…  _ not _ what Pidge expected. Aside from the kiss they shared during their wedding, he hadn’t touched her. She had her own set of rooms in the castle that he didn’t have access to. He let her wear her shorts and too-big t shirts unless there was a formal event to be hosted as long as she wore her silver wedding band. All in all, she had a lot more freedom than she’d expected to have.

X

The only time Pidge was certain to see her husband every day was when she was in her garden. Lotor had the garden built after a visit from the Olkari diplomats shortly after construction officially finished. Pidge had been having a hard time settling into life at the castle; she felt restless being away from Green who, for safety, stayed at the Castle of Lions. Tending to the plants in the garden helped her lion feel a little closer, gave her something to focus her nervous energy on when she had no new tech to mess with, and generally brightened her mood.

Lotor seemed to like watching her garden. He always set aside time out of his schedule to sit on one of the stone benches and observe as she went about her work. Sometimes he would ask questions about certain plants and to Pidge’s surprise, he seemed genuinely interested in the answers she provided. In these moments, Pidge could almost forget this was a political marriage, lost in the warm feelings of domesticity lingering around them. 

One one such day about two Earth months into their marriage, Pidge asked, “Why me?”

Lotor started, surprised that he was being addressed. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Why did you ask to marry me instead of Allura?” When he still looked confused, she huffed and continued, “Outside of Voltron, I’m a nobody. I don’t hold any special office on my homeworld. Earth governments hardly even cared about my family until my dad and brother were kidnapped. You had nothing to gain by marrying me. So, again, why me?”

He was silent for a moment. Then, he said, “You seem to underestimate you own worth, my dear.”

“What–”

Lotor brought one slender finger up to his lips to silence her. “You asked me a question, so please allow me to answer it. Katelyn, you have many qualities that make you appealing: you’re smart, passionate, opinionated, battle-trained–”

“So is Allura,” Pidge interjected. She was talking more to the medium-sized fruit-bearing tree than to Lotor now, in an attempt to hide her burning face.

Lotor sighed. “Well, the reason I gave my advisors is that Queen Allura is much too busy rebuilding Altea to be able to rule Galra beside me.”

“What’s your real reason, then?” Pidge asked, turning slightly to face him and quirking an eyebrow.

“Because I’m afraid I’m most desperately in love with you.”

Before Pidge had the time t think of a suitable response to the surprising answer, the door to the garden slid open with a hiss. “King Lotor,” Acxa said, as formal as she always way. “The Balmerans have a grievance regarding our proposed trade agreement.”

“Which Balmera?” Lotor asked.

“Balmera X-95-Vox.”

“I know their people,” Pidge said before she could stop herself. At Lotor’s questioning look, she continued, “When I first became a Paladin, one of the first missions we went on was liberating them.” She turned to Axca. “Did they come to present their grievance in person?”

“Yes. Two individuals named Shay and Rax are here representing their race.”

Pidge started vibrating with nervous energy. Lotor apparently picked up on this and said, “If you like, you may clean up and come to the meeting. I believe negotiations could go well if someone personally acquainted with both parties is present.”

She lifted herself out of her crouch and started brushing the soil of her pants. She moved slowly on purpose; even if Lotor seemed to acknowledge and respect her intelligence, Pidge knew his generals didn’t necessarily share his thoughts. She heard Acxa whisper, “King Lotor, are you sure this is wise? Her feelings may inhibit negotiations.”

“Katelyn is the queen of our people,” Lotor replied. “Her power is second only to mine. I always intended for her to rule alongside me; I would have given her a consort title otherwise.”

Pidge fled, face burning from Lotor’s compliments, and went to her rooms to clean herself up and change.

X

She didn’t bother getting too dressed up. Lotor would have said something if she was expected to. Instead, she slipped into a purple dress made out of a material similar to lace and washed the sweat and dirt off her face, hands, and legs.

Once decent, Pidge made her way to the meeting room. It had a proper name, Pidge was sure, but she was still learning how to speak and read Galran without a translator, so she hadn’t bothered learning the exact English translation of the obscure word. Plus, her ignorance tended to annoy Lotor’s generals, and, as a little sister, she took any and all chances to annoy people. 

Lotor, Shay, Rax, and all four generals were waiting when Pidge got to the meeting room, though no discussions had begun. They all turned to face her when they heard the door slide open, and Shay grinned and leapt out of her seat to greet her. “Green One!”

Pidge allowed Shay to hug her. “It’s great to see you,” she said when she was released from the rocky embrace. “How’s the Balmera doing?”

“Healthy, and getting better all the time. Grandma says it should be back to full health in a few more deca-phoebs.”

“With no over-harvesting,” Rax cut in, looking as grumpy as Pidge remembered. “Green one, these Galrans do not understand what we require to accept trade. If we open trade with the deal they offer, the Balmera will fall ill again.”

Zethrid growled. “Don’t talk about us like we’re not here, Balmeran. You’re in  _ our _ castle, on  _ our _ planet. We can kick you out whenever we want!”

“Calm yourself, General Zethrid.” Lotor’s command silenced the general, and Shay and Pidge both took their seats around the table. “Now, please present your grievance. I thought our offer was very generous.”

“What did we offer them?” Pidge asked.

“Twenty thousand GAC worth of any commodity of their choosing for each crystal.”

“Well, there’s your issue. What do you know about Balmeras?”

Though Pidge’s question was directed at Lotor, it was Ezor who answered. “They’re planets that grow crystals, right?”

“No!” Shay cried. “Balmeras are living creatures! They can feel pain and get sick! They need Quintessence to produce crystals.”

Lotor and his generals looked genuinely puzzled by this information. Pidge wasn’t overly surprised; she doubted Haggar and Zarkon cared enough to teach the Galran youth about such matters. “The Balmerans produce a very low amount of Quintessence, so they can’t replenish the Balmera on their own. When they traded with the Alteans, they asked for an amount of quintessence equal to the size of the crystala they harvested to ensure the health of the Balmera.”

“Until five deca-phoebs ago,” Rax cut in, “our Balmera was a mining colony for the empire. Queen Allura risked her life to replenish a great deal of energy needed to save the Balmera in an ancient ceremony. According to the Yellow One, she was weak for several quintants after.”

“I don’t feel comfortable gambling my people’s lives away for crystals,” Lotor said. “This sounds very dangerous.”

“Allura was only that weak because she had to give so much energy by herself,” Pidge pointed out “If we sent several Galrans for each crystal harvest and only harvested one at a time, it would be completely safe.”

“How are you so sure of this?” Acxa asked.

“Hairy Lip has videos of Altean ceremonies,” Shay said. “If the Green One asked, he could send them to you to prove their safety.”

Lotor turned to Pidge “Can you ask for the video?”

“Yes.”

“Then go do that, please The sooner we get it, the faster we can complete the trade deal.”

One quick call to Coran later, Lotor and his generals deemed the ceremony safe. Lotor, Shay, and RAx signed the deal in the common language and the Balmerans left shortly after with promises to call and visit with Pidge more often.

X

Lotor managed to get away from his advisors long enough to eat dinner with Pidge that night, a rare occurrence in its own right. Rebuilding a country wasn’t easy after all, and Lotor was working very hard to secure his race’s future and make reparations for the damage his parents caused the rest of the universe.

With no gardening and no negotiating to focus on, Pidge’s traitorous mind brought Lotor’s words from earlier back to mind.  _ I’m afraid I’m most desperately in love with you. _ How was she supposed to react to that? She was fourteen when she got swept up in a war, and learning to pilot one-fifth of the universe’s only hope and liberating alien races didn’t leave much time to explore romance and sexuality. Sure, she’d had a crush on Shiro when she was ten, and she used to think Lance was cute, but she’d never even kissed anyone before her wedding. She had no idea how to navigate any sort of non-platonic relationship.

Before she had to say something, Lotor spoke up. “Thank you for your help with the negotiation. It would have taken much longer without your input.”

Pidge ducked her head and stared at her food to hide her blush. “I don’t really think I did all that much.”

“Nonsense,” Lotor said. “You pointed out a flaw in our side of the trade agreement and proved out people had a safe way to provide the Balmera with what it needs. I think that counts as something.”

“I’m happy I could help,” she said weakly.

“I’m glad you got to help.” She glanced up and found him staring very intently at her. “I would be very happy to have you joining more discussions like that in the future, Katelyn. You’re the queen, after all. I trust and value your input on such matters.”

A throat cleared somewhere to Pidge’s right, dissolving the intimate mood. One of Lotor’s advisors stood in the doorway of the dining hall, tapping his left foot impatiently. Lotor sighed, flashing Pidge a wry smile. “Duty calls. Sleep well, Katelyn.”

Then he was gone, off to attend to his kingly duties.

And Pidge didn’t end up asking him about his confession.

_ Fuck. _


	2. Day 2: Space

A few weeks after the Balmeran negotiation, Lotor came to Pidge with a proposal.

“You want to go on a vacation?” she asked incredulously, a hand propped on her hip. They were in her garden again, and the offer came at a shock. Lotor had never expressed interest in taking a prolonged break from work before. “Where would we even go?”

“I was hoping you could show me your star system.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why? There’s only one inhabited planet, and two others are gas giants. It’s not very interesting.”

“Is it really so strange? I want to see where you were raised.

And, well, what could she even say to that? Pidge agreed to the vacation and did her best to recall everything she’d ever learned about the solar system.

X

Lotor convinced Acxa to relinquish a nice Teludav-equipped ship for them to use on their impromptu vacation. It was small, though, and only had one bedroom, but Lotor assured Pidge it came with two single beds instead of one full.

Since the stupid planet song from fourth grade was still deeply ingrained in her mind, Pidge was adamant they visit the planets in order, starting with Mercury and ending with Pluto (“Viva la Pluto, fuck you,” she once told Matt during an argument over Pluto’s planetary status.). Lotor agreed on the condition they went back for a prolonged visit to Earth after their little tour was done. “The whole purpose of this trip is to see where you’re from,” he reasoned. “I’d like more than a passing glance of the planet you grew up on.”

They wormholed into Mercury’s orbit, making sure to not be pulled in my the sun. “This is Mercury,” Pidge said, pointing at the picture taking up the screen of the bridge. “It’s smaller than Earth, but it’s denser. Our researchers think that’s because iron makes up fifty-five percent of its volume.”

“If it’s uninhabited, who named it?” Lotor asked. 

“Earth astronomers. They named it after the Roman god of messengers. Actually, all the planets in our system are named after gods.”

“What are gods?”

Pidge whistled through her teeth. Whoo boy, that’s a hell of a question.” Before Lotor could ask about the phrase, she continued, “Gods are omnipotent beings humans worship as part of a religion. Each religion has a different set of gods they worship.”

“Which gods do you worship?”

“Nominally, I’m Catholic, just like the rest of my family. Catholics are monotheistic, which means we only worship one god — God, like a proper noun. They believe no human is completely good, and that the only way to save your soul and gain life after death is by repenting and forming a spiritual relationship with Jesus, God’s son.”

Lotor hummed contemplatively, and Pidge realized how long this conversation could go on. “We can talk about this more when we land on Earth. I’m sure my parents will be glad to teach you all about religion.”

“Are they devout members of your religion?”

Pidge snorted. “Mom goes to mass twice a year and Dad things the whole thing is hogwash.”

X

Without using the Teludav, the trip from Mercury to Venus would have taken several days, even in a Galran ship. Luckily, this Teludav was in much better condition than the one on the Castle of Lions, so they could use it as much as they needed to without worrying about it breaking.

Venus was always Pidge’s favorite non-Earth planet. Matt used to say it was because it was named after a goddess, but Pidge just thought it was really neat how easily she could see it when they stargazed together. “It’s named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty,” she told Lotor. “Some people call it Earth’s twin sister because they’re close in size and proximity.”

“Why hasn’t it been settled?”

“Scientists on Earth chalk it up to the lack of water and unbreathable air. The clouds are full of acid, too.” She sent him a smirk. “Not exactly the most hospitable planet in the universe.”

The purple skin over Lotor’s cheekbones darkened a little. Before Pidge could wonder if Galrans flushed the same way humans did, he said, “You’re very knowledgeable about these planets. I thought you were more interested in technology.”

She shrugged. “When my older brother started taking astronomy classes, he would drag me out into our backyard at night and point out all the stars and planets he recognized. I, being the competitive little gremlin I was, looked up really obscure facts about what he was learning so I could show him up.”

Lotor blinked. “I understood most of that. What is a gremlin?”

“We’re going to have some movies to watch when we get to Earth.”

X

Earth was next. Pidge’s heart clenched at the sight of it. She only returned briefly after the war to see her brother and father home and hold a quick press conference with the other Paladins before she had to marry Lotor. She was actually starting to life Galra, for what it was worth; the Galrans were working hard to rebuild their culture out of the shadow of a dictator, and she found them to be a vibrant, friendly people when not engaged in a war. She wouldn’t go so far as to say she loved it just yet, but it was kind of starting to feel like home.

“Here’s Earth,” she told Lotor. “Named after the Roman goddess of, well, the earth. Some people call her Terra, but that messes up the whole naming theme, so I ignore them.”

“Can you see where your family lives from here?” Lotor asked.

Pidge shook her head. “We’re looking at Asia right now, and my family lives in North America. It should be just about time for breakfast when we land.”

She could see Lotor had another question, but before he could ask it, the ship began to pick up a transmission.  Pidge hit the button to accept it about half a second before a familiar face filled the screen. “Commander Iverson,” she said coolly, crossing her arms over her chest.

He balked at the sight of her. “Katelyn Holt? Why are you in orbit? And who’s that with you?”

Lotor inclined his head. “You would do well to treat my wife and myself with a little more respect.” Iverson started making a weird noise in the back of his throat, which Lotor ignored. “I am King Lotor of the planet Galra. We are taking a tour of your star system so I can better understand the cultures my people share the universe with. Is that a problem?”

Iverson was turning an odd shade of purple, but he managed to say, “Well, uh, Your Majesties, your ship is concerning many of Earth’s governments. After the abductions of your father and brother came to light,” he aimed at Pidge, “world leaders have become wary of alien ships in our system. It would probably be for the best if you landed your ship at our Garrison base if you do not intend to return to your planet immediately.”

Pidge wanted to protest (if only to spite Iverson), but Lotor simply nodded. “Alright. I’ll have Katelyn direct me to your base. Thank you for your warning.”

Pidge shut the transmission down and sighed, leaning back in her seat. “So much for our vacation. Damn Iverson always ruins everything.”

Lotor smiled reassuringly at her. “I mostly wanted to visit your planet, anyway. While I enjoyed listening to you talk about the planets, it was merely a ‘bonus,’ as you say.”

She felt her face heat up again. Instead of addressing it, she told him the Garrison’s coordinates.

_ Maybe you can ask him about his confession, _ the annoying part of her brain suggested.  _ You’ll have the homefield advantage on Earth, after all, and you won’t have to worry about him getting dragged off for work. _

_ Maybe, _ she conceded, watching Lotor steer the ship closer to Earth.  _ We’ll see if he survives meeting my family first. _


	3. Day 3: Sacrifice

It was three in the morning when Lotor and Pidge’s ship landed in the desert next to the Garrison. Iverson greeted them, his whole body tense, and offered to lend them a vehicle to drive to Pidge’s parents’ house. Pidge vaguely remembered her father’s illegal driving lessons and it was all desert between the house and the Garrison, so she accepted the offer.

Lotor held on to the door for dear life while she drove. The expression of horror on his face was pretty funny, but the way he shrieked when she swerved was even funnier. “How did you manage to pilot the Green Lion?” he demanded when she slowed, laughing.

“In my defense,” she said, “I was too young to officially learn how to drive when I left Earth and the Lions operate on a mixture of science and magic.”

Lotor made a disbelieving noise.

Pidge may or may not have swerved a little harder than necessary and sent him crashing into the door, but she absolutely laughed.

X

They got to Pidge’s parents’ house at a quarter to four. The spare key was still buried in the dehydrated daisy pot next to the back door. All four Holts had birthdays in April, so her mother thought it would be funny to decorate everything with that month’s flower.

Pidge let herself and Lotor in quietly. Gunther, while old, was still probably pretty perceptive, and she doubted her family would be pleased to be awoken by his barking so early in the morning. She toed her shoes off, prompting Lotor to shed his own boots, and stuck a hand out to feel for the walls in the dark.

“What are you doing?” Lotor asked her.

“We might wake my parents if we turn on the lights,” she answered. “I got my early morning grumpiness from my dad. He might go off if we interrupt his sleep.”

She started walking towards her room, reaching back with her free hand to grab Lotor’s forearm when she heard him stumble over something in the dark. Pidge did her best to ignore the way fire raced up her arm from the contact.

They made their way up the stairs without incident and she pulled him into her childhood bedroom, closing the door behind them. She flicked the switch next to the door and allowed light to flood the room. That was when she realized the dilemma.

There was only one bed.

Pidge took a second to think and said, “Take off your flight suit.”

“Excuse me?”

Pidge was already moving towards her dresser to find something to change into. “We’re going to be sharing a bed for a while, and I’d rather not have to deal with how uncomfortable flight suits are. Your bodysuit should be good enough. You can borrow something from my dad or my brother in the morning.” She found a pair of old pajamas and, before she could second guess herself, started changing into them.

Fortunately, she heard the soft  _ clank _ of his flight suit hitting the thinly carpeted floor. Flight suits could be very hard to get out of, so at least he was occupied for a while. Unfortunately, she grew more than she thought she had, and her pajamas were a little…  _ small. _ The shorts hugged her hips tightly, and she couldn’t fasten the top two buttons of the shirt, leaving part of her black sports bra visible. 

_ Deep breaths, Pidge, _ she told herself, trying to will away the heat in her cheeks.  _ As long as you turn the lights off, he won’t be able to see. _ Aloud, he said, “You can go ahead and get in bed. I’ll get the lights.”

He grunted affirmatively and she heard the bedsprings groan under his weight. Pidge quickly flicked the switch down, letting darkness swallow the room, and slipped under the covers herself.

X

The first thing Pidge became aware of when she woke up was how warm she was.

Which was  _ weird, _ because she usually got super cold at night. Her mom liked to say it was because she never wore socks to bed, but if she did that she felt like she would melt, and fuck that. Being cold was clearly superior to being warm.

This warmth, however, was pleasant It made her feel safe—happy. It also made her feel sleepy, so she kept her eyes tightly shut and snuggled closer to whatever amazing pillow she’d somehow acquired.

_ Wait. _

Her eyes snapped open and she found herself greeted with Lotor’s handsome sleeping face. Somehow in the night they must have snuggled together; one of his arms was hooked around his waist while the other cushioned her head in place of a pillow. Her pajama shirt had ridden up, revealing her stomach and the bottom half of her sports bra, and one of her legs was stuck between his.

Pidge’s face heated up as she realized how intimate a position this was. Even during Paladin sleepovers, where the whole team would basically sleep in a puppy pile, she’d never slept so close to someone. Her skin tingled everywhere he was touching her, and even though this situation was unfamiliar and a little frightening, she found herself not wanting to pull away.

She watched Lotor’s eyes flutter open. “Good morning,” she whispered, not wanting to disturb the intimate atmosphere.

“Good morning,” he replied, eyes still glassy. He yawned, stretching his legs out, and Pidge was able to feel the quiver in his muscles. Her flush only got deeper at that realization.

Luckily, before she had to confront this, her bladder announced very firmly she had to pee  _ right this second. _ She squirmed against Lotor, and his arms and legs were relaxed enough to let her wriggle right out. “I have to go to the bathroom,” she told him as she crawled backwards off the bed. “You can go ahead and put you flight suit back on if you want. I’ll get dressed when I get back.”

She tip-toed across the hallway to the bathroom. Before she flushed, however, she snuck over to Matt’s room to see if he was still asleep. When she heard snoring from the other side of the closed door, she returned to the bathroom to flush the toilet. She didn’t want to freak her parents out too much by making a loud noise when no one was supposed to be upstairs.

Pidge returned to her room to find a dressed and still-sleepy Lotor. She found a dress that used to be a little big on her and changed into it. It was a little short on her, but it was better than nothing. She combed her fingers through her hair to get rid of the knots and, after a moment of deliberation, reached up and did the same to Lotor’s. “Ready to meet my parents?”

He gave her a wry smile. “Let’s find out, shall we?”

X

Pidge led Lotor down the stairs, moving quietly. She could hear her parents talking softly and mulling about, so she knew, logically, there was no slipping past them. The first floor of the house was almost entirely open, so they could see the stairs from just about anywhere.

When they reached the bottom step, she cleared her throat to announce their presence. Her parents both whirled around to face them, their faces a mixture of confusion and delight. “Katie?” her mom said, getting out of her seat at the table on shaking legs. “Is it really you?”

Pidge shrugged faux-carelessly. “Who else knows where you keep the spare key?”

Her mother rushed her, gathering her up in her arms. Her father followed at a more sedate pace, but Pidge saw the way he was limping and knew it wasn’t out of lack of enthusiasm, but a lack of mobility. The Galra work camp had been hard on him.

She stayed in her parents’ embrace for a few wonderful moments before pulling away. “We wanted to surprise you at breakfast, but plans changed a little. We got here about two hours ago.”

“We?” her dad asked. He finally looked over her shoulder to see Lotor, who she could feel right at her back. “Prince Lotor!” he exclaimed, jumping backwards and eyes widening in fear.

Pidge hurried to placate her father’s fear. “Don’t worry, Dad, he’s not here to hurt you! We came here together. Right, Lotor?” She threw her head back to regard her husband.

Lotor nodded. “We simply came for a visit.” He turned to her mother, who looked extremely confused, and Pidge only then remembered she had never met an alien before and, as such, had no context for her husband’s panic or Lotor’s purple skin. “You must be Katelyn’s mother. I am King Lotor of the planet Galra, and your…” His brow furrowed and he turned back to Pidge. “What is the phrase you used?”

Pidge sighed. “‘Son-in-law.’”

“Ah, yes. I am your son-in-law.”

Her parents regarded him in silence before turning their gazes on Pidge. “Explain,” they said, in perfect unison.

Pidge let loose another sigh. She really should have expected this.

X

After giving a quick recap to her parents (and Matt, who emerged from his bedroom at the smell of bacon the way a bear emerges from hibernation) over breakfast, Pidge found herself doing the dishes beside her mother while her father and brother took Lotor out to buy him some Earth clothes. “He’s handsome,” her mother said out of the blue, causing Pidge to go red and nearly drop the plate she’d been scrubbing.

“M-Mom!”

She laughed. “What? I’m not allowed to find young men attractive?”

“Not your child’s husband!”

“Speaking of that, when can I expect some grandchildren out of you?”

Pidge felt like her cheeks would never go back to their natural pale color. “It’s not like  _ that, _ Mom! We only kissed  _ once, _ at the wedding, and last night was the first time we ever slept in the same bed.”

“So you weren’t together before you got married?” Her mother propped a hand on her hip. “Katie, why would you do that?”

“Like I said, we needed to secure the alliance.”

“And who suggested marriage as the best way to secure it? Was it Lotor?”

Pidge shook her head. “No, actually. Several of the alien races we were already allied with were distrustful of Lotor, and they said they wouldn’t sign the treaty unless there was something concrete tying him to us.” She chuckled a little. “Not a whole lot more concrete than a lifelong vow, right?”

“You just… sacrificed yourself to secure an alliance? Weren’t there any other girls available?”

“Lotor actually asked for me, if you can believe it.”

Her mother blinked at her. “Why wouldn’t I believe it?”

_ “Mom, _ come on. I’m plain. Look at Lotor, then look at me. That’s about as big a difference as you can get.”

Her mother raised an eyebrow. “So you have  _ no _ clue why he asked to marry you? Katie, sweetheart, I only spent twenty minutes with him, and I can tell he’s head over heels for you.”

_ “I’m afraid I’m desperately in love with you.” _

Pidge felt her face practically explode in red, and her mother laughed. “I hit the nail on the head, didn’t I? And from the way you’re acting, you’ve got some feelings for him, too.”

“Well,” Pidge admitted, “this morning was… nice. I must have cuddled up to him while we were asleep and I actually really liked waking up like that.”

Her mother smiled. “Your father’s a cuddler, too. You always took more after him than me.”

Pidge started to fidget. “So, uh, suppose I  _ want _ to have a more-than-platonic relationship with Lotor. What do you think I should do?”

Her mother went quiet, considering, before saying, “It seems like he’s waiting for you to make the first move. If you even indicate you’re open to the possibility, I’m sure he’d be thrilled.” She laid a hand on Pidge’s shoulder. “You’re  _ you, _ Katie. You saved the universe! I’m sure you can get your husband to kiss you.”

Pidge groaned. “Saving the universe was  _ so much easier.” _

X

Acxa sent Lotor a transmission about a mild but concerning issue with a mine back on Galra while he was shopping with Pidge’s dad and brother. She helped him stow the Earth clothes he bought in her closet and dresser and changed back into what she traveled in before they said goodbye to her family and got back in the military vehicle.

Pidge drove at a more sedate pace on the way back to the Garrison. As she drove, she tried to decide how she wanted to broach the topic of actually progressing their relationship to Lotor. Finally, when the Garrison formed into a speck on the distant horizon, she said, “What do you remember about waking up this morning?”

“Holding you,” he answered immediately and without shame.

Her face burned. She was almost irritated at how familiar the sensation was becoming. “Yeah, well…”

“Did it bother you?”

“Actually…” Pidge fidgeted as much as someone can fidget while in the driver’s seat of a moving car. “I was wondering if, uh, you wouldn’t mind sleeping together again? Not, like, every night, but every once in awhile?”

He smiled at her and she felt her heart rate pick up. “I’d love that, Kathryn.”

She kept her eyes ahead of her and pretended she wasn’t freaking out internally for the rest of the drive.


	4. Day Four: Selfishness

For all her talk about “not all the time” and “just every once in awhile,” Pidge found herself sleeping in Lotor’s bed more often than her own.

It was becoming habit, now; she’d eat dinner, take a bath, change into her pajamas, and head to his chambers. The guards always let her right in, even when Lotor was still working, and she’d slip into his bed and go to sleep. Most nights he would come to bed late and wake up early, though he always stayed to tell Pidge good morning before he left to attend to his duties.

She would have been content with this for a while longer had the Achuiwei not come visiting.

X

Pidge knew something was up when Lotor didn’t come to the garden that day. He usually arrived not long after her, and she was almost finished with her daily pruning. Concerned, she wiped her hands off on her shorts and left the garden to look for one of his generals.

It didn’t take her long to find one of them—or, well, one’s  _ cat. _ She still wasn’t quite sure what Narti’s cat’s name was, but she knew Narti was never far behind. Sure enough, the cat led her to its owner, hopping up onto her shoulders and rubbing its face against her. “Hello, Narti,” Pidge said. “Is Lotor busy with something? He never came to the garden today.”

Narti made a gesture with her hands Pidge had learned to come meant “Lotor is busy.”

“Well, can you take me to him? If he’s so busy he couldn’t come to the garden with me today, it must be serious.”

Narti gave  her a once-over and mimed washing her face. Pidge felt her cheeks heat up. “Yeah, ‘course. I’ll go get cleaned up first.” 

Narti followed her back to her rooms so she could wash her face and get changed into something more suited to a formal endeavor. When she deemed herself presentable, she had Narti lead her to—surprise, surprise—the meeting room. Pidge took a deep breath to steel herself and nodded to Narti, who opened the door for her and allowed her to step into the room.

Lotor was already facing the door, and when he saw Pidge his face visibly brightened just a little bit. “Katelyn!” he said, standing up out of his chair to come greet her. One of his hands came to rest on the small of her back when he got to her; it wasn’t quite an embrace, but her skin tingled anyway. “I’m sorry I didn’t come to the garden today. We received a party of diplomats from the planet Achuiwei just after breakfast and negotiations have taken away my time.”

Pidge surreptitiously surveyed the “party” Lotor was referring to. There were a variety of the normal guards, and the two actual diplomats were, what Pidge assumed, siblings; aside from the more feminine one’s longer yellow hair and subtle curves under her blue robes, they were nearly identical; pale green skin, strangely long arms with three fingers on each hand, and eyes missing pupils. “Is there any way I could help?”

“Yes, I do believe there is.” He kept his hand on her back and led her to the chair next to his, inviting her to sit. “Princess Qeegan, Prince Agomshin, I’m pleased to introduce you to my wife, Queen Katelyn. Katelyn, this is Princess Qeegan and Prince Agomshin, the children of the current king of Achuiwei. Their galaxy is near yours, I believe.”

Pidge smiled as politely as she could. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Princess Qeegan lifted the flesh above her eye where her eyebrow should be. “I didn’t believe the rumors, King Lotor. Who would have thought the great womanizer of the universe would ever get married?”

The title wasn’t exactly news to Pidge; she’d heard several rumors about Lotor’s promiscuity over the years they were fighting against each other. But now, hearing about it when they were married, rubbed her the wrong way. Lotor, however, laughed this off. “Love can change a person in strange ways, Princess. I’ve devoted myself entirely to Katelyn now.”

The princess shot Pidge a look that said  _ We’ll see about that. _

X

Whatever treaty they’d been negotiation gained no progress that afternoon, as Lotor was called away for domestic affairs. Pidge decided she didn’t want much to do with the prince and princess after their initial meeting and instead spent the rest of the day teaching herself more about the Galran language. By her estimates, she had the vocabulary of a prepubescent teenager at this point, which she thought was pretty good for only dedicating herself to the language near the end of the war.

She was surprised to find Lotor already in his room when she entered to go to bed. He was reclined on the numerous pillows, nose buried in a stack of reports, though he looked up when the guard opened the door for her. “Ah, hello, Katelyn.”

“It’s weird to see you in bed before me,” she said teasingly. She slipped into the bed with an ease that comes with habit, and, feeling a little brave, pressed herself up against his side and rested her head on his chest. He hummed contently, so she figured he didn’t mind. “Any particular reason to bring your work here?”

Lotor sighed. “If I’m being honest, I’m trying to avoid being alone with Princess Qeegan.” He set the reports aside. “Katelyn, I want to be honest with you: I’ve had…  _ relations _ with the princess in the past.”

Disappointing, but not unexpected. “I kind of figured that.”

“But that was  _ years  _ ago. I haven’t even spoken to her since I met you for the first time in battle. I swear to you, Katelyn, I only have eyes for you now.”

“I believe you,” she mumbled into the fabric of his sleeping shirt.  Then, she added, “That doesn’t make it any easier to see the way she looks at you.”

“Say the word and I’ll ask to meet exclusively with Prince Agomshin.”

Pidge sat up at that, staring at him with wide eyes. “I can’t do that! It could jeopardize the negotiations!”

His hand reached up to cup her cheek, and she followed his touch back down until she had resumed her previous position. “You’re allowed to be selfish every once in awhile,” he told her. “Your father told me a lot about you while we were visiting your home. He told me how much of a, what did he say? Oh, yes, a brat!” She forced a laugh and slapped him lightly in the chest. “He said you used to be very demanding of your brother’s time as a child, and how surprised he was to see how much you’d grown.” She felt his hand start stroking her hair and she nuzzled a little further into him. “War changes people. You and I both know that. You’ve had to be mature and responsible for a lot more than you should have been since you were still a child in your culture. And now, after your duties have finished, you’re on an unfamiliar planet and tasked with ruling a people you know nothing about. It would be unreasonable of me to expect you to be entirely selfless.”

Pidge was silent for a moment, considering his words. Then, she said, “You really won’t get mad if I ask you not to see her?”

He chuckled, and she could feel it reverberate in his chest. “If anything, I would be flattered my darling wife cares enough about me to be jealous.”

She went red and abruptly flipped over, cocooning herself in the blankets and staring resolutely at the wall.

X

(Negotiations eventually concluded satisfactorily on both sides, regardless of what Princess Qeegan said. After all, who would ever believe a lie like the one she told? No woman King Lotor could tame into marriage would ever lock a person in a garden with giant, humanoid-eating plants that hadn’t been fed in a while. Those bite marks on her neck and waist must have been from one of her many lovers. She was known to be jealous, after all, and everyone who knew her knew she was prone to making up tall tales. Why would this one be any different?)


	5. Day 5: Time

When Pidge managed to set up an Earth clock in her room and sync it to the timezone her parents lived in, she was mostly expecting to use it to alleviate homesickness. She would look at it every once in a while and imagine what her parents and Matt were doing. What were they having for dinner? Was Matt working hard at the Garrison? That sort of stuff.

She didn’t expect to use it to tell the passage of time for herself.

She and Ezor were in her room while she cleaned up after working in her garden. Ezor reminded her a lot of Lance, and she felt closer to her than to Lotor’s other generals, so she wasn’t really shy about washing in front of her. Pidge lifted her face from the washbasin and caught sight of the clock in her vanity mirror. Then, eyes squinting, she turned to look at it sos the numbers and letters made sense.

_ [April 1, 20XX. 14:55:07} _

“Huh,” she said, mostly to herself. “My birthday’s coming up.”

“Birthday?” Ezor asked, cocking her head a little to the side.

“Oh, it’s an Earth thing. We make records of the date of our birth and celebrate it every year. I’ll be turning twenty in two Earth days.”

“Does that have any significance in your culture?”

Pidge shook her head. “Twenty isn’t really a big milestone. I’ve been considered an adult in my culture for almost two years already, and the next big milestone is twenty-one, when I’d be allowed to drink alcohol. Birthdays are just a cause for celebration in general.” She found herself sitting on her bed next to Ezor while she spoke. “The friends and family of the person whose birthday it is will throw a party and give them presents. There’s usually a cake with the age of the person equalling the number of candles on top. Then the birthday person makes a wish and if they blow all the candles out in one breath, their wish is supposed to come true.”

Ezor clapped, a grin on her face. “That sounds fun! We should tell King Lotor! We haven’t had a party in  _ ages.” _

Pidge felt her cheeks heat up. “I can’t  _ ask _ him to throw me a birthday party! That’s not how it works!”

“Why not?”

“It’s impolite to ask for a party to be thrown in your favor. It has to be done without you requesting it.”

Ezor did the alien equivalent of blowing a raspberry. “Humans are so complicated. Is it okay if  _ I _ tell him, then?”

“Sure, knock yourself out.”

X

Pidge largely forgot about her conversation with Ezor since neither she nor Lotor brought the topic up. She shrugged it off, figuring the Galran culture simply had no room for birthday celebrations.

She’d never been so wrong.

When she woke up the day of her birthday, Lotor, already dressed for the day, presented her with a bouquet of—

“Daisies?” she asked, snatching the bouquet out of his hands to inspect the flowers. “How did you get  _ daisies _ out here?”

He winked. “That’s part of the surprise, my love. Get dressed quickly and we can move on to the next part.”

Pidge gently set the bouquet down on the bed and dashed to her room to dress. Lotor met her back outside her room when she was done, and he easily slipped his hand into hers to lead her down the large stairs and to the dining room. Her skirt swished against her legs with every step she took. She’d found herself wearing more and more dresses unless she was working in the garden lately; Lotor never asked her to, but she saw how much he liked it when she did. 

He pushed the button to slide the dining room door open, and Pidge was treated to the sight of her parents, Matt, and all of Team Voltron sitting around the table, talking and laughing. They all looked up when they heard the door open, and the grins that overtook each of their faces made Pidge’s heart swell. 

Lotor pulled his hand out of hers and moved it to the small of her back, giving her a light push. “Go see your friends,” he said.

She smiled brightly at him and, on impulse, rocked onto her toes to give him a lightning-fast kiss on the cheek before rushing to the table.

X

After a loud, rowdy breakfast, during which a food fight almost broke out, Pidge and Lotor showed her friends and family around the castle. The Paladins crowded around Pidge as much as they could, brushing against her and bumping their shoulders together, and Pidge felt a swell of affection for her pseudo-adopted brothers. She could tell they’d worried about her here by herself, and she was determined to show them how well she was being treated.

Hunk was especially excited to see her tinkering lab, where she’d come up with a new kind of sentry bot with enhanced armor and aiming abilities. “Meet Rover the fourth!” she said proudly as she booted it up. It was just as tall as the original sentries, but more humanoid in the fluidity of its movements. “It can detect heat signatures as well as motion, and it’s heavy enough to make it hard to move and force open doors like we used to do.”

Lotor did a double take.  _ “That’s  _ how you used to get into our bases?”

“If we didn’t have Keith with us, yeah.” She turned back to address her friend group. “We haven’t tested them out for combat quite yet. Any takers?”

It had been almost a year since any of them had to engage in combat. Despite this, Keith, Shiro, Hunk, and Lance all individually beat a separate Rover IV with ease. They laughed and shoved each other after each match, and Pidge found herself joining in instead of being irritated at how much work she still had to do on the sentry. It felt… right.

X

Lotor had to do some work after lunch, so Pidge changed into some shorts and took her family and friends to her garden so they could chat while she worked. “It’s weird to see you voluntarily interacting with plants,” Keith joked. “I remember you griping about going to Olkarion all those years ago.”

“It’s actually really relaxing. Lotor comes to watch me garden sometimes, too. He says it helps him unwind between all the paperwork he has to do.”

“Speaking of  _ Lotor…”  _ Lance said, sliding in with a stupid grin on his face. “How’s the sex?”

At least five different people snapped  _ “Lance!” _ at varying volumes and degrees of irritation. Pidge just winked and said, “Wouldn’t  _ you _ like to know?” It was none of Lance’s business that they’d only gone as far as cuddling, but there was no harm in messing with his head.

She looked over her shoulder to see her parents, Matt, and Shiro all looking superbly uncomfortable at the idea of her having sex. “I’m a twenty year old married woman, guys,” she said, making them all flush. “You don’t need to act like I’m a kid.”

Her mother forced a little smile. “It’s just what parents do, honey.”

X

After that uncomfortable episode in the garden, Lotor whisked them all off to do some shopping in the capital. When he was informed of the name of the city, Lance sniggered, and Pidge punched him.

Lotor payed for all the party’s purchases, waving her parents’ and Hunk’s protests off with a “You’re here as part of Katelyn’s present. I’d never make you pay for anything.”

When they were done shopping, Pidge and Lotor escorted them all to the rooms they were staying in to store them with the rest of their luggage. Then Lotor brought them all back down to the dining room, where a delectable looking feast was spread out on the table for dinner. Somehow, it tasted just like a chicken dinner, with aromas to match. Pidge wasn’t quite sure how the chefs managed it, but with the way Hunk was grinning, she was sure he had something to do with it, which begged the question of just how  _ long _ they’d all been here without her knowing. 

Hunk disappeared into the kitchen when the feast had been ravaged and returned with a two-tiered cake with twenty unlit candles sticking out of the chocolate frosting. That was it. “How long have you  _ jerks _ been here?” she demanded, though the grin on her face belied her joy.

Shiro bumped her shoulder with his. “We just got in yesterday. Ezor and Acxa took hiding us from you very seriously.” 

Keith (because of  _ course _ it had to be Keith) produced a box of matches to light the candles, and Lotor clapped so the lights would dim. He stood behind her, his warm, familiar hands coming to rest on his shoulder, and he ducked his head to whisper in her ear. “Make a wish, Katelyn.”

She closed her eyes and blew.

X

After Lotor and Pidge returned her friends and family to their rooms, they walked hand-in-hand back to Lotor’s room. Pidge had begun keeping some of her pajamas in his room for convenience, so they changed together. Instead of crawling right into bed, however, Lotor pulled Pidge over to the secluded seating area right next to his large window, overlooking a beautiful cliff. “What was your wish?” he asked her.

“Well, I can’t  _ tell  _ you,” Pidge teased. “If you tell anyone what you wished for, it won’t come true.”

“What if I could help you fulfill your wish?” He was leaning in closer now, one hand cupping her cheek.

“Maybe you could.”

“Katelyn, may I—”

Before he could finish his question, she pounced, snaking her arms around his neck and tugging his lips to hers.


	6. Day 6: Intimacy

Pidge and Lotor’s relationship seemed to come to a bit of a plateau after their kiss on her birthday. 

Sure, they still slept in the same bed, and they traded kisses every once in awhile, but it didn't really  _ progress  _ much beyond that. No book she'd ever read on the subject of romance had any kind of helpful advice for someone in her situation. She doubted there was any kind of Galran Cosmo with articles like “How to Get Your Husband of Almost Half a Deca-Phoeb to Finally Take Your Goddamned Virginity” either. (Did Galrans even have a concept of virginity?)

And, she hated to say it, but Pidge couldn't realistically see herself seducing him. 

She stood in her undergarments in front of the large mirror in her room after a bath, regarding herself with a critical eye. She wasn't exactly a bombshell by anyone’s standards. Her muscles were too prominent, scars crisscrossed all over her body, she had no real curves to speak of, and her chest was as flat as an ironing board. She knew Galrans had a different standard of beauty than humans did, but she wasn’t sure just how different it was. 

A sudden knock on her door made her jump. “Katelyn?” Lotor called from the other side. “May I come in?”

_ Shit. _ Pidge lunged for the towel draped over a chair and wrapped it around herself. “S-sure!” 

The door slid open and Lotor stepped into the room. His eyes roamed for a minute before settling on her, whereupon they widened to a comical degree and he turned his head to stare at the wall. “I apologize.”

Pidge felt herself flush down to her chest. “I, uh, I actually wanted to, um, ask you something.” The last half of ‘something’ rose in pitch a little, so it sounded more like a question than a statement. 

“Yes?” he asked, still not looking at her.

She groaned. “Lotor, please look at me.”

As always, he seemed to be unable to refuse his wife’s wishes. His head slowly turned to her, until their eyes finally met. Just as slowly, she pulled one corner of the towel out from under itself and let it fall to a damp puddle at her feet. Her skin burned in embarrassment but she refused to try to cover herself. “Do you find me attractive?” she asked softly.

He didn’t speak. Instead, he carefully made his way over to her and let a hand come to rest on her hip. His other hand cupped her chin and guided her eyes up to meet his. “You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.” The hand on her hip traveled to her stomach, his thumb tracing the white scars on her skin. “These show all the sacrifices you’ve made,” he continued. Lotor sunk to his knees to press his lips to one of the longer scars, running from her left hip diagonally to just under her ribcage.

Pidge shuddered at the contact, but he didn’t stop. His fingers trailed over the lean muscles next. “These who the strength you’ve accumulated over the years.” Another kiss, this one eliciting a raspy breath.

“Your hands,” he said, taking one in each of his, “have created technology, nurtured plants, and led innocents to safety.” Kiss. “Your shoulders have carried burdens no one can fathom.” Kiss. “Your ears have listened and learned countless things.” Kiss, kiss. “Your eyes have seen the greatest joys and the worst tragedies in the known universe.” 

Finally,  _ finally, _ his fingers reached her quivering lips. “Your lips,” he said, sounding nearly as breathless as she felt, “have spoken languages your people have never heard, ended conflicts, and have brought me to my knees.” He pressed his mouth to hers in a kiss so passionate it made her dizzy. She clung to his shoulders to keep herself upright, not trusting her legs to hold her up.

When they had to part to breathe, Pidge slumped against Lotor’s chest, feeling it rise and fall. “I love you,” she heard someone say, and it wasn’t until she felt Lotor stiffen that she realized it was her. Emboldened, she repeated, “I love you, Lotor.”

She looked up at him and found his eyes wide and full of wonder. “Katelyn…” he murmured.

Pidge grinned and took his hands. “So, are you gonna take me to bed, or what?”

Instead of giving her a verbal answer, he groaned and swept her up in his arms, pressing his lips to hers once more.

X

When Pidge awoke an undetermined time later, she was still entwined with Lotor between the soft sheets of her bed. Her thighs ached pleasantly and her entire body felt loose and relaxed. Lotor was already awake, tracing shapes in the sweat on her hip.

She moaned and stretched her legs a little, relishing in the little chuckle the action drew from Lotor. “G’morning,” she slurred. Then she stopped to think. “Is it morning?”

“We still have a few vargas before we’re expected at breakfast.”

She hummed and burrowed her head back into his chest. “Good. I’m not ready to get out of bed yet.”

“Is that so?” he teased. “What do you suggest we do, then?”

She wiggled against him, grinning when he groaned. “I’m thinking round two.”

“Only two? I think you may have forgotten some of last night, my love.”

“How about you refresh my memory, then?”

His smile sent a thrill down her spine. “It would be my pleasure.” 


End file.
